Credit Points 10

Coordinator Elisha Stein Opens in new window

Description Maternal and Infant Health care introduces students to the key physiological, social and emotional issues around pregnancy, labour and birth and early parenthood. It also examines the Australian maternity care system and model of care. Content covered in the subject will include; foetal development, normal physiological labour and birth, health promoting behaviours and development of parenting confidence. Importance will also be placed on the role of social support, infant feeding practices and communication and newborn care. Models of care and the impact of the media on shaping parenting ideas and practices will be covered.

School Nursing & Midwifery

Discipline Nursing

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 5 subject

Pre-requisite(s) NURS 7075 - Nursing Practice 3 for program 4785
NURS 3032 - Professional Practice Experience 5 for programs 4691 4692 4693 4780

Co-requisite(s) NURS 3002 - Being a Professional Nurse or Midwife
OR
NURS 7079 - Transition to Professional Nursing

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in 4691 Bachelor of Nursing or 4692 Bachelor of Nursing (Graduate Entry) or 4693 Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced) or 4780 Bachelor of Nursing – WSU Online and completed 160 credit points or 4785 Master of Nursing Practice (Preregistration) and completed 80 credit points.

Learning Outcomes

1. Qualify the social determinants of health and the role of communities and significant others that may impact on outcomes for mothers, their infants and families.
2. Justify deviations from normal and common obstetric interventions that interfere with normal 
labour and birth.
3. Critique a range of childbearing and childrearing practices through a perspective of cultural competency.
4. Examine how pregnancy, labour, birth and infant feeding practices are represented generally in the media 
5. Reflect on maternity models of care in an Australian context, focusing on collaboration among health professionals and communities.

Subject Content

1. Conception and hormonal influences on preconception health
2. Normal pregnancy, labour and birth
- Foetal growth and development
3. Deviations from normal
- some complications, common obstetric interventions, grief and loss
4. Newborn growth and development
5. Role of health professionals working in a multidisciplinary team
- Midwives, nurses, child and family health nurses, doctors
6. Maternal and paternal self-care / postpartum practices
- cultural influences
- social determinants of health and factors impacting maternal and infant outcomes
7. Infant feeding practices
- Breastfeeding, formula feeding
8. Media representations of pregnancy, birth and infant feeding
9. Maternity models of care in Australia
- Continuity models of care – midwifery models of care, MGP, Caseload, MAPS 
- Private obstetrician led care
- General practitioner shared care
- Standard maternity Hospital care 

Special Requirements

Essential equipment

Access to an internet enabled device is essential in order to be able to: access program materials; to participate in discussion groups; and to access additional resources provided by the lecturer during the term. See http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/services_and_facilities/uwsonline_student_supportfor further information.